SATICOY : Youth Pleads Not Guilty in Slayings

Vincent Medrano, one of four teen-agers charged with killing two men in a drive-by shooting in Saticoy, pleaded not guilty to murder charges Tuesday.

But Medrano’s attorney, James Matthew Farley, told the judge that “there is no great hope for anything other than a guilty verdict” at Medrano’s trial, scheduled to start Aug. 26 before Ventura County Superior Court Judge Frederick A. Jones.

Farley said his prediction is based on the fact that one of Medrano’s co-defendants, Carlos Vargas, has pleaded guilty and has agreed to testify against Medrano and the other suspects.

Medrano, 16, Joseph Scholle, 15, and Edward (Tony) Throop, 18, are accused of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in the April 7 deaths of Javier Ramirez, 18, and Rolando Martinez, 20, and the wounding of two other men.

In addition, they are charged with a special-circumstance allegation that more than one person was killed in the crime.

Vargas pleaded guilty to all the charges except the special-circumstance allegation, which was dropped in exchange for his testimony.

Conviction on that allegation could result in a life sentence without possibility of parole.

Farley said his client’s best hope is that an appeal court will rule that Proposition 114, approved by voters last year, prevents filing special-circumstance allegations against a minor. Deputy Dist. Atty. Saundra T. Brewer has argued that Proposition 115, also approved by voters last year, allows such allegations against minors.

Farley said he never considered trying to strike a plea bargain such as the one Vargas signed.

He said Medrano faces a long prison term even without the special-circumstance allegation. If Medrano made a deal with prosecutors, he would be labeled an informant, Farley said, and “would spend his time in isolation, or in fear.”

Medrano is being held at Juvenile Hall with bail set at $500,000.